The formerly maligned group began the season with a 4.95 ERA over the first 36 games, the worst in the National League, but has ranked second in the NL and third in the majors since, with a 2.42 ERA in 35 games entering Saturday's game against the Cardinals.

And in the last three weeks, they've been the best in all of baseball. Since June 3, the Phillies bullpen leads the majors with a 1.16 ERA (five earned runs in 38 2/3 innings), while limiting opponents to a .150 batting average, .199 on-base percentage, .218 slugging percentage, .417 OPS, 0.67 WHIP and a 7.67 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Those are all tops in the majors. They also rank fourth in the majors with 9.31 strikeouts per nine innings.

The catalyst for that change?

Jonathan Papelbon. Perhaps the most-maligned Phillie in the clubhouse, at least publicly.

"He's been great for the guys," manager Ryne Sandberg said. "He's done a lot of coaching and teaching, so I think that's gone a long way with the younger guys. He's kept a positive frame of mind and a positive approach with the guys, and I would say early on, it was still somewhat seeing the guys and learning about them.

"I know that the guys are real comfortable with him and he's very approachable and I think he has a real good feel of them now more so than he did the first half of the season, just knowing the pitchers and knowing what they need to do, knowing what they need to work on. He's played a huge part in just being patient and working with them and coaching and teaching them along the way."

Papelbon has converted 17 of 19 save opportunities this year, stringing together a run of 15 in a row between blowing his first chance of the season on April 2 and Monday's game at Atlanta, which the Phils won in extra innings. He responded by converting each of his last two chances, with clean ninth innings on Tuesday and Thursday.

"I think it's just one of those years where it's going to basically come down to who can make a good little run in the division, divisional games," Papelbon said Monday. "I think tonight, despite me going out there and blowing the game, we really made a statement. I'm proud of the guys for picking me up. It's good to see."

"First of all, he loves the game, he's had success, he loves to win," Sandberg said. "He's also about talking the game and he's also about helping the younger players. I've learned that about him, especially this year. And he also likes to have them think that they're a unit themselves down there, as a group. Everybody do it together, everybody do their job, everybody be accountable for themselves, and do it together as a group."

The individual performances of the Phils' relief pitchers have been excellent.

Justin De Fratus is riding a career-best 12-inning scoreless streak, while Mario Hollands is up to 12 2/3scoreless frames.

Jake Diekman is holding lefties to a .154 batting average and righties to a .256 mark in his last 62 appearances dating to last season, and is striking out 12.46 batters per nine innings since April 9.

Fireballing future closer Ken Giles has provided a boost since making his major league debut earlier this month, and owns a staggering 16.2 strikeouts-per-nine in three appearances.

"First of all, it's important to use all of them," Sandberg said, "to use the whole bullpen to keep them all fresh and ready to go and get their rest when due, and then when other guys are pitching well they can pick each other up. The way that I view it is that they're doing it as a unit down there. They're doing it as a group. And I do know that Papelbon, being the veteran guy down there, has been a very good influence on all of them as far as keeping them in the game and talking baseball during the game and watching the at-bats and talking about hitters, helping to form them together as a group down there.

"It helps to be doing well, no question about it," he said. "And then have that filter down. No question about it. Especially from a closer role and a veteran guy. That works hand-in-hand."